It need not be ironic.

As Ms. Morisette so poignantly reminded us, nobody wants rain on their wedding day. And lets face it, the Brits are no great shakes on the family stakes. Unlike other European countries, the extended family no longer plays much of a role in Britain when it comes to planning important life events. Weddings are a case in point. Tying the knot in an English country churchyard under a leaden sky is no longer the height of romantic ideals,or so it seems. More and more Brits are opting for marrying abroad, with almost a quarter of weddings taking place in a foreign country.The main motive, according to surveys, is to avoid the family.

South Africa, with 6% of the votes, is high on the list of wedding destinations, closely followed by Sta Lucia at 5%. Tying for third place are a variety of locations including Mauritius, las Vegas, Antigua and Jamaica. Within Europe, the Greek islands and Mallorca remain popular - and interestingly, the Republic of Ireland, technically a foreign country but with ten times the charm, although little guarantee of avoiding that ironic rain.

The expenses can work out about the same as a blow-out wedding at home, even if travel tickets must be paid for the guests, since only close friends are likely to be invited. A third of couples who opted for tying the knot in balmier climes wanted just that - the guarantee of a rain-free day. More than a quarter admitted they were avoiding being driven round the bend by relatives. 20% of couples wanted to roll wedding and honeymoon into one great holiday.

The origin of that term itself is disputed. One theory has it that newlyweds used to drink fermented honey to boost fertility, although it is far-fetched to think they were supposed to do so for an entire lunar cycle.A less romantic but more plausible theory is that it was simply a great metaphor that stuck, the first phase of a marriage being sweetness itself, after which the dross of routine sets in.

The days which follow should perhaps be referred to as bitter or chunky-cut marmalade. But it seems that traditional weddings are like Christmas - try as you might to resist, come the big day, you are likely to feel the tug of tradition. The most recent research suggests that, in fact, traditional church weddings are making a comeback in Britain - although naturally, religion plays little or no part in the peoples choices. No, couples are going back to the church because it is a cute setting - something they may have learned from their trips to Mediterranean countries, where couples take out something like a mortgage and book their church with a view up to a year in advance.

In a survey commissioned by the Church, the Henley Centre questioned 1,800 people who had decided on a church wedding. Just over half, 55 per cent, did it because of their religion or their partner's. But 75 per cent said that they had their wedding ceremony in church because they wanted a "proper wedding" and 69 per cent chose a church because of its location. After years of decline, church weddings increased from 57,000 in 2004 to 57,200 in 2005.
If you are one of those people who feel that the whole reception thing is a bit of a rip-off, you will enjoy the BBC3 video available on YouTube, "Wedding cake" from man stroke woman.

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